Fork seal assembly

[bheinz57]

Wat, maybe it was less than 5" I may have misquoted myself. I went by the recommendation back on this site with the newer springs. And the suggestion from Progressive in the instructions.

Well, I have an '03 so there is no damper tool needed, but I will say i buttoned the top up, then tightened the allen bolt on the bottom to spec, then opened it back up on the top side then added my oil and such.

I did this in fear of not being able to torque the allen bolt w/o a special tool or cutting a tool to make it work. I did everything with conventional tools.

Brian

 

[gamorg02]

Wat, maybe it was less than 5" I may have misquoted myself. I went by the recommendation back on this site with the newer springs. And the suggestion from Progressive in the instructions.

Well, I have an '03 so there is no damper tool needed, but I will say i buttoned the top up, then tightened the allen bolt on the bottom to spec, then opened it back up on the top side then added my oil and such.

I did this in fear of not being able to torque the allen bolt w/o a special tool or cutting a tool to make it work. I did everything with conventional tools.

Brian

thats the exact way i did mine too.

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

 

[dannymax]

^Good. I do seals in pumps and all sorts of other things so I thought without a doubt that the cupped side would pint in or down. That was my normal thinking. And that's how she rests. Anyone else with any doubts? And once we figure this out, let's update some of the sticky's so we don't have to go through the guessing game again for the newbies like me....!!!

Putting everything back together now. Just have to read up on oil amount.

Thanks.

Brian

My rec is to stick with the language in the manual...."Install the oil seal so the manufacturers mark is facing up."

Garrett, like I mentioned in the e mail, you might be ok with the upside down seal, seeing as you have progressive springs and no air pressure in the forks.

Why not test it and see how it turns out? :ummm:

 

[bheinz57]

^Funny you shall say that. No where in my manual printed off an online vendor does it say that anywhere. That is why the question arose.

And I don't think air pressure would have much to do with the seal being upside down and how much it can capture the oil and prevent it from getting by the seal?

I don't know.

But I will let everyone know the long term affects of my first fork job!

Brian

 

[dannymax]

^Funny you shall say that. No where in my manual printed off an online vendor does it say that anywhere. That is why the question arose.

And I don't think air pressure would have much to do with the seal being upside down and how much it can capture the oil and prevent it from getting by the seal?

I don't know.

But I will let everyone know the long term affects of my first fork job!

Brian

I got the info from a Clymers manual. Garrett said the same language was in his Haynes manual too.

Yeah, I have no idea the extent the air pressure would have on the seal but like any directional seal, the rubber will point in the direction to 'capture' the pressure and use it to increase the sealing ability.

But that's JMO, nothing more. :biglaugh:

 

[gamorg02]

i wonder if it doesn't matter at all, but its recommended for the spring side to go down as its less likely to come loose with it towards the oil side.

 

[bheinz57]

Hmmm... So maybe the upgraded springs with no air means that's why no one has had many issues with which way the oil seal is facing?

Oh, and I don't have a Haynes or Clymer, just the free manual from online printed out.

Brian

 

[gamorg02]

Hmmm... So maybe the upgraded springs with no air means that's why no one has had many issues with which way the oil seal is facing?

Oh, and I don't have a Haynes or Clymer, just the free manual from online printed out.

Brian

very well could be. i know a lot of guys dont' mess with the air even with the stock setup (i didn't).

if you want the printout from the haynes (sorry i didn't offer sooner!) pm your email.

 

[[email protected]]

so, bad news gents. mine are in spring side up.

good news tho, not a drop of fluid or anything. is the general consensus that i should swap 'em?

I bet they would hold just fine. But, the type of guy I am, that would make me lose some sleep at night and I would have to redo them!

 

[gamorg02]

I bet they would hold just fine. But, the type of guy I am, that would make me lose some sleep at night and I would have to redo them!

typically me too. but i just wanna ride. i got some seals coming in the next week or so, so once they come in and my triple is ready to be ridden i'll take the job on. should be able to do it in a few hours this time around.

in the meantime, if i blow the seals, oh well i got some coming. i bet they'd be fine tho.

 

[bheinz57]

Went for a decent ride today. Bike handles so much better. No oil seepage/leakage. You know, I was perusing the internet and found a lot of instructions for doing fork seals and most of them said spring side up for install.

So are there that many people (ME!) installing these things wrong?

Brian

 

[gamorg02]

maybe it just doesn't matter? spring holds the slider, other side is pounded in well. and ur done with it. more i think about it, the more i might just leave it the fuck alone.

 

[bheinz57]

^ I would too until a possible leak develops. I will update this thread if I have any issues.

Brian

 

[gamorg02]

yea. got a spare set and spare oil, so if it leaks, i fix it.

 

[gamorg02]

So lets throw this kink in our discussion.

i looked at my old fork seals (re-used as drivers). and they are identical on both sides. both sides have springs on them and one side has writing. so mine might be in right. we'll see.

i never realized both sides had springs.

further proof it might not matter which way they go in.

 

[tugla]

might still have my old ones around after i chg mine, i'll take a look garrett and see if its the same thing. where did you get your seals from?

 

[gamorg02]

sean. they are OEM. so i'll have to pry up my dust seals again and check if the writing is up or down, but honestly, they look identical each way to me. not sure if the new ones had a spring on both sides but the old ones sure did.

 

[gamorg02]

ok so false alarm. got the new fork seals in from morley and looked.

they are OEM and have springs on BOTH sides.

pealed my dust caps up again to double check, and whatdya know. the have writing side up. never checked, just figured spring side up was writing side down.

crisis adverted.

 

[dannymax]

ok so false alarm. got the new fork seals in from morley and looked.

they are OEM and have springs on BOTH sides.

pealed my dust caps up again to double check, and whatdya know. the have writing side up. never checked, just figured spring side up was writing side down.

crisis adverted.

Yup....me too! Good info Garrett, thanks! unk:

 

[gamorg02]

yea. so i DID do it the smart way.